Crossed Wires
by DobbyRocksSocks
Summary: Severus believes Harry is cheating on him when he finds Harry and Blaise Zabini together. Harry tries to prove to Severus just how much he loves him. It's just a case of crossed wires. Warning for bad language.


**Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.**

**Written for;**

**The OTP Knock Out Battle, Round 1.**

**The Multi-Ship Challenge - Hard - HarrySeverus - Prompt - Emerald.**

**The Easter Egg Hunt Challenge - Object - Wand. **

**Crossed Wires **

Harry was out. Again. Severus sighed as he put the mass of essay baring parchment on his desk. There was a time when Harry would be here waiting on him with a welcoming smile and a gentle kiss. Now, however, his younger lover was always out doing who knows what with who knows who. Severus missed the days when they'd first moved in together, when neither of them had a care in the world. He missed the days when he had the utmost faith and belief that Harry loved him as much as Severus adored Harry.

A bang in the kitchen, followed by the usual moaning of Harry when he fell out of the floo, informed Severus that his emerald eyed imp was home. Perhaps they could enjoy a nice night in together, relaxing in front of the fire after a nice meal. A light chuckle in a voice that certainly wasn't Harry's filled Severus' ears and he frowned as he moved silently from the lounge to the kitchen.

Harry still lay on the floor, a taller young man standing over him with amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Get up, Potter. Merlin would think that you'd have learnt to floo by now."

"Bugger off, Blaise," Harry mumbled as he pulled himself to his feet, inadvertently filling Severus in on the guest. Now that Severus could see him properly, he recognised the Zabini heir easily. He'd grown even more good looking as he'd aged. Seeing the two of them standing together filled Severus with dread.

They looked perfect together. Like a proper couple should.

He cleared his throat, getting the attention of the two younger men. He didn't miss the way Harry's eyes widened as he flushed with embarrassment. Had it been any other time, Severus would have thought the blush to be wonderfully appealing.

"Severus, I wasn't expecting you to be home," Harry said, stumbling over his words as he glanced at Zabini then looked away quickly.

"Clearly," Severus replied blandly, afraid to say too much in case the hurt he was feeling bled into his words.

Harry glanced between Severus and Blaise again. "Blaise, maybe we should do this another time. You should probably go."

Severus filled with rage at the words coming out of Harry's mouth, and slammed his fist against the wall. "Actually, this will be the perfect time for you to be here, Mr Zabini, as I'm just leaving. Have fun together, won't you?"

Severus stormed from the room, summoning the parchment back into his arms as he flooed from the lounge fireplace. As he spun away from his home, he heard Harry shouting his name.

xxxx

Harry watched as the fire flared up and Severus disappeared. Well, that went well. He sighed to himself as he turned back towards the kitchen, not surprised to find Blaise leaning against the door frame, one elegant eyebrow raised.

"I thought you said Professor Snape wouldn't be around until Saturday?" he asked.

"I didn't think he would be. It's not often he comes home from school during the week, I usually go up to him when I'm done at work."

"Do you think he suspects what's going on?"

Harry shook his head. "I can't believe he'd have that kind of reaction if he knew why you are actually here. I suspect he believes I'm cheating on him. You being here must have fuelled that belief into an inferno."

"You know, you could have just told him why I'm here. There's no point upgrading a lab if there's going to be nobody here to use it. As I remember it, you were rather... disastrous at potions when we were in school."

"Oh, he'll use it, even if I have to drag him kicking and screaming from Hogwarts. I would have thought he'd trust me by now. Never mind that," Harry said, shaking his head. He gestured to the stairs leading into the basement lab. "Shall we?"

"Indeed. I suppose the sooner I get this done, the sooner you can go and beg forgiveness."

Harry snorted. "Forgiveness for what? I've done nothing wrong. But you are correct in a fashion. The sooner you finish the upgrade, the sooner I can go and kick some sense into him."

xxxx

Dinner was almost over when Harry arrived at the castle. He walked down the aisle beside Gryffindor table, his eyes on the empty place that should hold his partner. Reaching the staff table, he stopped to have a quite word with the Headmistress.

"Has he been here at all?" he murmured, aware that the students and staff alike were trying to listen in.

"No. I knew he was back in the castle though. The house elves are almost partying at the clean up they'll have to undertake if he want's his office back in working order any time in the next year."

Harry chuckled. "He always did know how to throw a tantrum in style. Anyway, hopefully he'll be spending the weekend at home with me."

"What have you done, Mr Potter?"

"We have a rather large case of crossed wires is all. Should be fixed up soon enough."

Minerva chuckled. "Go ahead. Do try not to make him blow up any more of the dungeons, won't you?"

Harry laughed. "I make no promises."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you don't."

xxxx

Harry said the password, fairly surprised when the door sprung open. He'd rather expected Severus to have changed it by now. He walked gingerly into the spacious quarters, his hand on his wand just in case he needed a shield charm in a hurry. Severus sat by the fire, a tumbler of whisky in his hand. Harry thanked Merlin for small mercies. At least he wasn't drinking straight from the bottle.

"Go ahead," Severus muttered before Harry could speak. "Give me your excuses and then get out."

Harry snorted, sitting down in the armchair opposite Severus. "I have nothing to excuse, therefore, no excuses."

Severus glared at him. "Nothing to excuse? You think it's perfectly ordinary for someone to fetch another man into a house they share with the supposed love of their life?"

"You are the love of my life, Severus, no supposed about it. I must say though, I'm beginning to wonder why."

"Get out, Harry. I don't have the energy for a big break up. You can tell your friends we fought for hours if you feel the need. I'll not disabuse any one of the notion."

It was Harry's turn to glare this time, as he stood back up. "You're a bastard, Severus Snape. Remind me next time I try to do something nice for you not to bother. If you'd care to sort things out, I'll be at home for the rest of the evening. Alone, if you're wondering."

Harry stormed to the door, swinging it open so hard it slammed against the wall.

Severus called him back before he could slam it shut behind him.

"What do you mean? Something nice? You call fetching your new toy home a nice welcome do you?"

Harry turned back to find Severus on his feet, his eyes hard and full of anger. Apparently he was ready for a fight after all.

"New toy? I thought you trusted me? I thought you knew me? Make sure you insert your common sense before you come home, Severus, cause at the moment, you're being unrecognisably stupid."

Harry shook his head in disgust before he closed the door, leaving behind an angry and somewhat confused Severus Snape.

xxxx

Harry walked around the house, making sure it was locked up for the night, before he headed up the stairs to bed. He'd waited four hours in front of the fire for a man that clearly wasn't coming home, and he was tired. He'd thought about sleeping on the sofa in case Severus came home in the middle of the night, but the righteous anger still coursing through his veins wouldn't let him.

He climbed into the cold empty bed, ready for a night of tossing and turning, when he heard noises coming from downstairs. Picking his wand up, he crept back out of his bedroom, silently slipping down the stairs. When he saw the light flicker on in the lounge, he knew it could only be Severus, because really, what kind of criminal would put the light on.

Keeping his wand gripped tight just in case, he pushed the door open. Severus stood in the middle of the room, swaying slightly. He was clearly beyond drunk, and Harry sighed even as he silently summoned a sobering potion. Walking forward, he gently pushed Severus down into a chair, coaxing him to swallow the potion.

He stood back once he'd made sure Severus had swallowed it all, waiting for the potion to take affect. It didn't take long, and Harry had to suppress a chuckle when Severus groaned.

"Ready to talk now you've successfully drunk away the anger?" Harry asked quietly.

Severus looked up, and Harry could see the conflicting emotions in his eyes. Rolling his own, he moved back towards the stairs. "Go and look at the lab. I'll be in bed if you want to talk."

Harry climbed the stairs wearily, climbing into bed once more. He stayed sitting up, listening closely for the sounds of the floo flaring, or footsteps on the stairs. Twenty minutes later, he wasn't disappointed when he heard Severus on the stairs, shortly followed by seeing him standing in the doorway, a cautious look on his face.

Not giving him a chance to apologise, Harry spoke. "Blaise Zabini is the leading Lab Renovator, or rather, he is if you believe the potion periodicals you leave lying around the place. I thought it would make a nice anniversary present for you to have a new lab to play in when the summer arrives. He's also married, to a lovely woman by the name of Daphne, one of your snakes I believe, who is currently heavily pregnant with their first child."

"Harry... I'm sorry."

Harry nodded. "I'm sure you are. Of course, if you'd trusted me, there would be nothing to be sorry about. I thought we were past all this? I thought we were happy?"

Severus sighed, before he moved from the doorway to sit tentatively on the bed. "I am happy. Too happy. I knew something was about to go wrong, and then when I saw you in the kitchen with Zabini... You've been being secretive for weeks, Harry. You're late to the castle, you're running errands that you can't tell me about. You told me you were with Weasley, and then he firecalled at the castle looking for you. What was I supposed to think?"

"You were supposed to think that you could talk to me about anything. If you had concerns, Severus, you should have brought them up with me. How long have you been doubting me?"

Severus half shrugged his shoulders. "A month, maybe. A little less. I don't know, Harry. I truly am sorry."

Harry nodded. "Get in bed, Severus. It's late and it's been a long day. Do you at least like the Lab?"

Severus smiled then. "I love it. It's everything I could have wanted and more."

"Did you look around properly?"

Shaking his head, Severus climbed in bed. "I wanted to come and apologise."

Harry grinned. "There's another surprise in there for you, but you have to find it."

Severus moved to get back out of bed, but Harry settled against his chest before he could. "It can wait until tomorrow. Hopefully, it'll make you believe that I truly do love you with everything I am."

"Harry, I..."

"Sleep, Severus. It'll all look better in the morning."

xxxx

Harry woke up to a kiss so fierce he was surprised he wasn't set on fire by the intensity. When Severus finally pulled back from the kiss, Harry blinked up at him.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything, but what was that for?"

"I love you, so much. Yes, yes, absolutely yes."

Harry was confused for a moment, before he saw what Severus was holding in his hand.

Smirking, he gestured to the box. "How long did it take you to find?"

"Over an hour," Severus grumbled, releasing his hold on the box when Harry reached for it.

Taking out the Potter bonding ring, Harry cleared his throat. "Severus Snape, you're a distrustful, pessimistic, grumpy bastard, but I love you with everything I am and ever will be. Will you bond with me?"

"Yes."


End file.
